Machine for coating can ends



Dec. 29, 1931.

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0 ,2? M I? 15 y m J. COYLE MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDS Filed April 11,1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l dtkozwet s Dec. 29, 1931. COYLE 1,838,082

MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDS Filed April 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec.29, 1931. J. COYLE MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDS Filed April 11, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 29, 1931. J. COYLE MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDS 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 11, 1929 Dec. 29, 1931. COYLE 1,838,082

MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDS Filed April 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5amnion Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN 'COYLE,

0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OFNEW YORK, N. Y.,.A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MACHINE FOR COATING CAN ENDSApplication filed April 11,

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a machine forapplying a sealing coating in the channel of an irregular shaped canend.

An object of the invention is to provide a coating machine wherein thecoating is applied with a nozzle which travels over the channel of anirregular shaped can end while said end remains stationary.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for controllingthe flow of the coating material from the nozzle.

A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a coating machineof the above type wherein the means for controlling the flow of the.coating from the nozzle is so constructed as to lay a coating of uniformthickness in the channel throughout the entire extent thereof.

These and other objects will in part be obvious. and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed. I

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of "theinvention I. i k ,r Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical section andpartly in side elevation showing a machine embodying the improvements.

2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the machine on anenlarged scale.

Fig.3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isa view partly in plan and partlyv chine for coating irregularshaped can ends which are held stationary during the coating thereof."The machine includes a supporting chuck for the can end which is shaped1929. Serial N0.354,327.

so as to hold the can end in a predetermined position on the chuck. Thechuck is raised and lowered for presenting the can end to thenozzle forcoating. The nozzle for applying the coating is supported by a bar whichis mounted so as to move the nozzle over the channel in the can end. Thepath of movement of the nozzle conforms to the outline of the channeland as the nozzle follows around the channel the coating is applied tothe channel. The nozzle is above the can end so that the can end isplaced with its channel facing upward on its supporting chuck. Thenozzle is moved by two devices disposedat the opposite ends of the barwhich support the bar and impart movements thereto which conform to theshape of the channel in the can end. This is accomplished by a patterncam associated with each device, a roller on the bar running in saidpattern cam and a propelling means'which includes a rotating disc havinga radial slot and a block slidably mounted in said slot and engaging aroller on the bai. Thus it is that the rotation of the disc will causethe roller to follow around the pattern cam and thus impart a bodilymovement to the bar which in turn causesthe nozzle supported thereby tofollow the outline of the channel in the can end. Means is provided forregulating nozzle. This is accomplished by a control plate operating ona lever for opening the valve. The valve is closed by means of a spring.The control plate is raised and lowered by a lever having a rollerrunning on a p'atterncam. Thus it is that the flow of the sealingmaterial may be cut off so as to allow the coated end to be removed andan end to be coatedto be placed on the chuck.

When the chuck is raised into proper position for coating, then the camthrough the control lever opens the valve and allows the coating to flowfrom the nozzle. This control cam may be so proportioned as to partiallyclose the valve during coating for-regulating the supply at differentpoints in the coating of the end. The speed of travel of the nozzle is avariable speed, inasmuch as the actuating devices have a shiftableconnection as shown in the drawings is provided with tion, the speed oftravel is less than when it is moved outward away from the center ofrotation. The control cam may be so Y shaped as to regulate the supplyso that with the variable speed of travel of the nozzle a uniform layerof coating may be applied to the can end.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the machine in the illustratedembodiment of the invention includes a main frame 1 which is providedwith two supporting columns 2 and 3 and a central frame structure 4.Mounted in this central frame structure 4 is a support for a chuck 5 onwhich the can end 6 is placed for coating. This support for the chuck 5includes a standard 7 mounted for reciprocation in a suitable bearing ina depending bracket 8 carried by the central frame of the machine. Thestandard is slotted at 9. Housed in this slot is a spring 10; the spring10 at its upper end engages a positioning pin 11 fixed to the upper endof the standard. The spring at its lower end surrounds a pin 12 mountedon an abutment bracket 13. The upper end of the standard is secured tothe chuck by suitable set screws 14. The spring normally tends toraisethe standard. 9

Connected to the lower end of the standard is a lever 15. This lever isin yoke form and the members of the yoke are secured to a collar 16 bymeans of pins 17. The lever is freely supported on a shaft 18. Thisshaft 18 is mounted for oscillation in supporting bearings 19 carried bythe main frame. Attachedto the shaft 18 is an arm. 20. The arm 20 isprovided with a segment slot 21 (see Fig. 7). A bolt 22 passingthroughthis slot is threaded into the lever 15, and thus it is that thearm 20 may be set in different angular positions relative to the lever15' and secured thereto in its set positions. On the end of the arm 20is a roller 23. This: roller 23 runs on a cam 24 carried by a hub 25mounted on ball bearings 26 carried by the depending bracket 8. The hub25 is attached to and supports an actuating gear 27. When this gear isrotated the cam 24 will be rotated and this cam is so shaped as to pressdownwardly on the arm 20 and thus oscillate the shaft 18 and lever 15 soas to 'move the standard and the chuck 5 downward compressing the spring10. The spring holds the roller 23 pressed against the cam 24 and at theproper time the cam will standard and chuck to be raised.

The can end 6 is shown more in detail in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Thiscan end is provided with a central depressed portion 28, a flange29 atits outer edge and a chanhel 30 located between this central depressedportion 28 and the flange 29. The can end permit the ends to can bodies.

The coating is applied to this channel by means of a nozzle 31. Thenozzle 31 is mounted in a supporting bar 32. The nozzle.

31 includes a supporting structure 33 onto which the nozzle is threadedand the bar 32 is provided with an opening conforming to a sleevecarried b the base structure and the .8

nozzle so that the base structure may be placed on the upper faceof thebar with the nozzle projecting through the opening and below the bar.The base structure is provided with a conduit 34 through which thecoating material flows from a supply pipe 35. This supply pipe 35 is ofa flexible character so that the nozzle may be moved in a pathconforming to the shape of the channel in the can end. The supply of thecoating from the nozzle is controlled by a needle valve 36 mounted inthe supporting structure 33 and controlling the discharge openingof thenozzle from within. This needle valve 36 is connected to a lever 37pivoted at 38 on a bracket carried by the supporting structure 33. Inthe outer end of the lever 37 is a rod 39 which is clamped to the leverby means of a clamping bolt 40. A spring 41 bears against the bar 32 atits lower end and encircling the projecting end of this rod 39 bearsagainst the lever and normally raises the outer end of the lever thusdepressing the needle valve 36 so as to close the nozzle.

The upper end of the rod 39 carries a shoe 42 which contacts with acontrol plate 43. The under face of the control plate 43 is a smoothhorizontal surface and the shoe slides freely on this surface so thatthe control plate does not in any way interfere with such movements ofthe bar 32 as may be necessary to cause the nozzle to follow the channelin the can end. The control plate is mounted on two swinging arms 44, 44which are pivoted to a supporting bracket 45 mounted at the upper end ofstandards 46, 46 which in turn are mounted on the central framestructure 4 of the machine. Also carried by the bracket 45 is a lever47. The lever 47 is pivoted at 48 and is connected by a link 49 to thecontrol plate. As the lever 47 is oscillated the arms- 44, 44 will beswung toward and from a vertical position and this will raise and lowerthe control plate at the same time always holding said control plate ina horizontal position. The lever 47 carries a roller 50 which by a shaft56. The shaft 56 is rotated by means of a sprocket chain 57cooperating'with a sprocket on the shaft 56. This sprocket chaincooperates also with a sprocket on the main driving shaft 58.

The cam 51 is provided with a concentric portion a which is of maximumdiameter and diametrically across the disc.

. the control plate.

when the roller is running on this portion a the control plate is raisedto its extreme upper position and the valve is closed by the spring'41.This control cam 51 is also provided with concentric portions 6, b, band intermediate these sections 6 are projections c of greater diameter.As the roller passes onto the section bthe valve will be fully openedthrough the spring 53 moving the roller'so as to swing the lever 47 inthe direction to lower The lowering of the control plate opens thevalve. When the section 0 passes the roller 50 the valve will bepartially closed. The nozzle as it follows the channel has a variablespeed of travel due to the fact that the roller on the control bar isshifted toward and from the center of rotation of the actuating member.The control cam is so shaped as to control the flow of coating so as toproduce a uniform thickness of coating with this variable speed oftravel of the nozzle. The nozzle is near its maximum travel when theroller moves off the concen tric portion and opens the valve. As thenozzle approaches another position of maximum speed the roller passesover the projection c and closes or partially closes the valve. Thus itis that a coating of uniform thickness is formed. V

The supporting and control bar 32 for the nozzle is mounted 'so as tomove freely in an endwise direction and also freely laterally on thecolumns 2 and 3. The mechanisms asso-' ciated with each co'lumn aresimilar and the description of one will answer for theother. Atthe upperend of the column there is a head 59 with which is associated a capplate 60. The bar 32 lies between the cap plate and the head 59. Mountedcentrally of the col umn is a shaft 61. The shaft 61 carries a disc 62which is provided with a slot 63 extending Mounted in this slot 63 is ablock 64. A roller 65 is se f cured to the under face of the bar 32 andengages this block 64. The block is free to slide radially of the disc62. When the roller 65 is set eccentrically to the axis of the shaft 61then the bar 32 will be given a lateral movement as the disc 62 rotates.Mounted in the cap plate 60 is a control cam plate 66. Said control camplate is provided with a control endwise direction and this cam controlraceway controls the movements of the bar 32. Inasmuch as there is a.control cam at both ends of the bar and an actuating device at both endsof the bar, the bar will have a bodily movement, every point of whichmoves in a path conforming to the shape of the control cams and alsoconforming to the shape of the channel in the can end. For differentsize can ends or for different shape can ends the control cam is, ofcourse, changed and one substituted conforming to the shape of thechannel which it is desired to coat.

The main shaft 58 carries a bevel gear which meshes with a bevel gear 71on the shaft 61 in the column 3. This imparts rotation to the shaft 61therein and in turn rotation to the actuating disc in the head at theupper end of the column 3. On this shaft 61 is a spur gear 72 whichmeshes with the gear 27. Thus it is that the cam 24 is rotated.

The gear 27 also meshes with a spur gear 73 fixed to the lower end ofthe shaft 61 in the column 2, and thus it is that the shaft 61 is 1 nelin the can end and as these control discs 3 rotate the bar 32 will begiven a bodily movement so that the nozzle will travel about the channelin the can end supplying the coating thereto. The cam 51 is operated bythe main shaft 58 and in timing with the movements of the chuck so thatwhen the chuck is in proper position to be coated the control plate forthe valve regulating the supply of coating from the nozzle is lowered soas to open the -valve and permit the coating to flow from the nozzleonto the can end. The coating is preferably delivered to the nozzleunder air pressure so that there is a free flow of thecoatingimmediately upon the opening of the nozzle. The nozzle will travel aboutthe channel until the end is properly coated after which the valve isclosed, the chuck is lowered and the end may be removed. Any suitablemeans may be provided for placing the ends on the chuck and removing thesame till during therefrom. It will be noted that the can end isstationary when the coating is ap lied thereto and, therefore, there isno distur mg centrifugal force acting on the coating as it comes incontact with the end and this enables. a very uniform laying of thecoating in the channelto be accomplished.

It will be understood from certain aspects of the invention that thecontrol of the valve coating will not be necessary, in which case t econtrol cam 51 will be shaped so as to Irlerely open the valve in propertiming with the presentin of the end and to close the valve at the en ofthe co'atin operation.

It is obvious that the structure or supportingand movin the nozzle, alsofor holding the can. en may be varied without departing from the spiritof the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can endto said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary. during coating, means forsupporting said nozzle and for moving the same in a path conforming tothe channel in the end to be coated, a control valve for-said nozzle, alever connected to the control valve and moving with the nozzle, aspring hearing on the lever for normally holding the valve closed, acontrol plate with which said x lever makes. contact continuouslythroughout the movements of the valve, and means for shifting-theposition of the plate for controlling the valve? g 2. A machine forcoating irregular shaped can'ends comprising a coating nozzle, a can endchuck for presenting a can end to said nozzle for coating and forholding said end stationary during coating, means for supporting saidnozzle and for moving the same in a path conforming to the channel inthe opening and closing the 'valve.

3. A machine for coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can end to' said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary during coating, a supportingbar to which said nozzle is attached, means at the opposite ends of saidbar for supporting and moving the same bodily for causing said nozzle totravel in a path conforming to the channel in the end to be coated, eachof said means including a control cam, a rolleron the bar engaging saidcam, and an actuating device for causing the roller to follow the cam.

4. A machine for coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can end to said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary during coating, a supportingbar to which said nozzle is attached, means at v the raceway, and aroller on the bar engaging said shiftable member, said disc beingdisposed relative to the control cam so as to cause said roller tofollow the control cam.

5. A machine for coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can end to said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary during coating, a bar forsupport ing said nozzle, means at opposite ends of the a bar forsupporting and moving said ba r so as to cause the nozzle to travel in aath conforming to the channel in the end to e coated, a control valvefor said nozzle,'a lever moving with the nozzle and connected to saidvalve, a spring bearing on the lever and holding the valve closed, acontrol plate having connection with said lever, and means for shiftingsaid'control plate for controlling the valve during the movements ofsaid nozzle.

6. A machine for coating irregular shaped t can ends comprising acoating nozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can end to said nozzlefor coatlng and for holding said endstationary during coating, cam meansfor raising and lowering said chuck and for' holding said chuck raisedduring coating, means for supporting and moving said nozzle in a pathconforming to the channel in the end to be coated, a valve controllingsaid nozzle, a lever movable with the nozzle and connected to saidvalve, a spring operating on the lever to hold the valve closed, acontrol plate contacting with the lever, and means operated in timingwith the chuck for shifting said control plate so as to open the valvewhen the end is properly positioned for coating and so as to close thevalve when the end has been coated.

7. A machine for coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting a can end to said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary during coating, cam actuatedmeans for raising and lowering said chuck and for holding said chuckraised during 7 coating, a bar to which said nozzle is attached, meansat the opposite ends of said bar for supporting and operating the samefor moving said nozzle in a path conforming to the channel in the end tobe coated, a control valve for said nozzle, a lever connected to thevalve and movable with said nozzle, a spring operating on said lever forclosing the valve,

a control plate contacting with the lever, a cam for shifting saidcontrol plate in timing with the movements of the chuck for opening thevalve when the end is positioned for coating and for closing the valveafter the end is coated.

8. A machinefor coating irregular shaped can ends comprising a coatingnozzle, a can end chuck for presenting ,a can end to said nozzle forcoating and for holding said end stationary during coating, means forsupporting the nozzle and for moving the same in a path conforming tothe channel in the end to be coated and at a variable speed, a controlvalve for said nozzle, and a control cam for the valve shaped so as tocontrol the flow of the coating from the nozzle so as to produce auniform thickness of coating on the can end.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOHN GOYLE.

